13 Reasons Why

Although the new Netflix show “13 Reasons Why” has become one of the most popular shows to check out, the counselors and staff at Galileo are telling students who are watching it to be careful.

The show, which came out on March 31st, is about why a high school student, Hannah Baker decided to kill herself. The story starts off by having Clay Jenson (the main character) opening a mysterious box. Inside the box was 13 tapes, and each tape is a reason why Hannah killed herself.

Many parts of the show are similar to real life scenarios. While not everyone experiences bullying in school, a lot of people have, whether it’s being physically bullied or cyberbullied. With such a realistic portrayal of things that happen to many high schoolers today, the show seems to be aimed towards younger audiences. Many high school students watch it because they can relate to the situations being shown in the show.

While the show may be relatable to many teenageers, some counselors and staff do not recommend students watching the show due to the intensity of the topic that can trigger some to think that suicide is the solution. “I do not recommend students to watch this show without an adult. There are a lot things that come up that needs to be discussed, and is also portrayed poorly. It really disturbs me that the show doesn’t talk about where students can turn to when they are feeling depressed,” says Nurse Kitchell

“It depends, if students are in a place where they feel vulnerable or they’re going through depression or having thoughts about suicide, I do not recommend that they watch this because it can trigger things in them that don’t need to be triggered. Suicide is not a coping mechanism, it’s not healthy”, says counselor Ms. Marshman.

Although the staff is warning students about the show, they aren’t saying advocating that it should be banned or censored. “I wouldn’t say students shouldn’t watch the show, but it’s a pretty intense show, there’s a lot of graphic scenes and the content of this show is a little bit troubling for teens”, says Sydney F. (Wellness Staff).

While the staff is telling students to be careful while watching the show, students who have seen it don’t think the show is a must watch. “It seemed interesting, but it took too long. It was pointless that Hannah made a tape about Clay”, said Senior Brittany R. Senior Jessica H. added, “It looked interesting and I was right, but I felt like every high schooler has experienced some of the things she did.”